Screen tensioning tool



Jan. 7, 1958 v. 1.. ESREY SCREEN TENSIONING TOOL Filed Jul 25, 1955 FIG. I.

INVENTOR.

VIRGIL L. ESREY SCREEN TENSIONING TOOL Virgii L. Esrey, Memphis, Tenn. Application July 25, 1955, Serial No. 524,150 6 Claims. (Cl. 149-409) This invention relates to a tool for tensioning screen wire on a frame or the like. In particular it relates to such a tool having improved means for tensioning said screen wire, said means being adjustably secured to a handle whereby said tool may be adjusted for various size frames.

In tensioning or stretching screen wire on a frame as a window or door frame it is common practice to secure the screen to one side of the frame and to tension or stretch the screen across to the other side for securing thereto while under tension.

The present invention is directed towards providing an improved tool for performing this tensioning or stretching operation and for holding the stretched screen while being secured to the frame.

It is further directed towards providing a tool having a pair of screen-engaging hooks spaced apart to provide accessibility for securing the screen near and between said screen-engaging hooks.

It is further directed towards providing such a tool which is characterized by efficiency of operation yet has simplicity of construction.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved tool for tensioning screen wire on a frame or the like.

A further object is to provide such a tool having an improved screen-engaging member, said screen-engaging member having a pair of spaced hooks adapted to engage the screen wire.

A further object is to provide such a tool having a body member provided with a plurality of transversely extending and longitudinally spaced slots, said slots being adapted to removably receive the end of said screen-engaging member, whereby said tool may be adjusted to fit various sizes of frames.

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the design, construction and efiiciency of screen tensioning tools.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the screen-engaging member of the tool of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the body member of the tool of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the assembled tool illustrating the position of the tool after tensioning of the screen.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, With parts broken away for purposes of illustration, of the tool illustrating in solid lines the tool in screen engaging position before tensioning and illustrating in dotted lines the position of the tool after tensioning of the screen.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the tool embodying the present invention comprises in general a body member 2 11 to which is removably attached a screen-engaging member 13.

Body member 11 preferably comprises a handle 15 of i adding strength to the structure of body member 11 the lower edges of sides 21 may be turnedinwardly as at 26.

Body member 11 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots 27 adapted to be engaged by screenengaging member 13. Slots 27 are preferably formed by cutting substantially equal transverse segments out of the material of top 17 at equally spaced intervals and extending the portions thus cut out downwardly through the upper portion of sides 21. Thus it will be understood a plurality of equally spaced transverse U-shaped slots 27 are formed withthe cutout portion thereof in sides 21 being substantially perpendicular to top 17.

A pair of lugs 29 respectively extend outwardly from the opposite sides of abutment portion 23 adjacent but rearward of face 25 and are adapted to embrace and engage portions of screen-engaging member 13. Each of lugs 29 may be integrally formed from abutment portion 23 by making a U-shaped cut-in the material of the abutment portion 23 and outwardly bending the free end thus cut out. It will be apparent that lugs 29 may be otherwise formed, as for example lugs 29 may comprise a pair of pins or other abutment means. Lugs 29 are prefer ably spaced from top 17 whereby screen engaging member 13 will be held in a position intermediate the upper end and the lower end of the forward face 25 of abutment portion 23.

Screen-engaging member 13 may comprise a pair of elongated rod like fingers 31 joined at one end by a slot engaging section, which preferably comprises a pair of loops 32 and a forwardly projecting U-shaped tip 33, the outward legs of the loops respectively joining the rear ends of fingers 31 and the inward legs of the loops beingrespectively joined by the legs of tip 33. It will be understood that said slot engaging section may otherwise be formed, as for example, the section may comprise a single loop and a forwardly projecting abutment means connected to said loop. Fingers 31 extend substantially parallel to one another along a major portion of their length and diverge toward their distal ends,

whereby a flared out portion 35 of screen-engaging member 13 is formed. It will be understood from the description of the operation of the tool that the flared outportion 35, wherein the distal ends of screen-engaging member 13 are widely separated, Will provide an 'ac-.

cessible space for tacking the screen onto the frame without impairing the efficiency of operation of the tool. The distal forward ends of fingers 31 are each provided with a hook 37 adapted to engage the screen wire 39 to be tensioned. Fingers 31 in addition to diverging in flared out portions 35 are also upwardly curved substantiallyin.

an arch. Hooks 37 preferably respectively extend downwardly and rearwardly from the distal ends of fingers 31 and terminate in a point. Screen-engaging member 13 may be formed integrally from a single piece of resilient wire with loops 32 and tip 33 being formed by doubling the wire forwardly Loops 32 and tip 33 are preferably dlsposed in a plane inclined to and angularly intersecting the plane of the major portion of elongated fingers 31. Fingers 31 are preferably formed to slightly con-- verge towards one another when disassembled from body 11 as shown in Fig. 1, whereby in the assembly of screenengagmg member 13 and body member 11 the screented en--7, 1 .78..

engaging member 13 will be spread apart by body member" 11 'to a substantially"parallehdisposition"and will be frictionally held onto body member 11 due to the resilient fingers being urged together.

In" assembling the tool, handle 15 is inserted between the fingers 31 with flared out portions 35 extending downwardly, Tip 33 is then inserted in one ofthe desired slots 27 and the'loops 32 respectively-engaged with'-the. opposite ends of the slot. It will be understood'th'atthe proper slot will be dependent upon the width "of the frame upon which thescreen wireis to be tensioned which will be 'moreappare'nt from the laterdescribed operation of the tool. After tip 33 is inserted '-in one ofthe slots 27 fingers 31 are swung upwardly over abutment portion 23 into engagement with lugs 29which limit further .upward movement. 7

As best illustrated in Figx 4,- .tip 33 will-underlie a portion of top 1.7 forward of theslot in which tip" 33 is inserted, whereby tip 33 limits upward movement of the rearward end of screen-engagingmember 13 and prevents accidental removal of the-'screen-engaging-member from slot- 27. Upward travel of the forward end of screen-engaging member 13 is limited bylugs 29. Longitudinal movement of screen-engaging member 13-is limited by loops 32 being engaged with the ends .of'slot 27 It will be understood thatin the hereinabove described insertion ofhandle 15 bet-ween fingers 31,-the fingers 31 wil be spread apart slightly to conform'to the thickness of handle 15 whereby screen-engaging member 13 will be frictionally held 'onto'body member 11 as heretofore-described. As will beapparent from the-foregoing description, fingers 31- will respectively liealongjopposite sides 21 ofbody member -11 substantially parallel.

with the-longitudinal axis of the handle and flared out portions -35 will extend beyond the forwardz' endflof thebody member.

In the operation of the tool the hooks 37-.are engaged adjacent the free edge of as'creen 39 which has previously been taeked along its opposite edge to a frame 41. The forward -face- '25'of abutmentportion 23 is brought in abutmentvwith the side 'edgef43 of frame '41 adjacent-the lower:'edge' of 'abutmentiportion- 23 in a manner as best illustrated inisolidlines in Fig. 4. The rearward end of handle 15' islthenimoved downwardly thereby sliding abutment'portion 23- downwardly inrespect to frameside edge 43;:wvhereupon hooks 37 will move'= outwardly towards '-edge- 43 and -therebytension screen 39. "When-handle 15 has reached a substantially horizontal-position asillustrated in' Fig; 3 and 1 in dotted linesin Fig. 4,'-'abu'tme'nt portion '23 will be insubstantially face to face engagement withsideedg'43 of frame 41. Sincethepull of'the screen against the screen-enaging s member 13- is substantially perpendicular to" the face 25"ofabutmenfportion '23, the tension of the screen 39 will'hold abutment portion "23 i'n-face toface engagement with sideedge' 43 and the handle 15 may be released if 'desired; thereby freeing the operators hands forsubsequent tacking-ofthe SGreen as-by tacks T. 'It wilFbeMnderstood that the spacing between hooks 37 is suflicient whereby the -he'ad i of ahammer I or= other securing devices may move therebetween for 'securin'g' thefree edge of'the screen to-the' frame 41. It will 'be'understood that. the screen tensioning to0l 'rnay=be disengaged from the frame 41 by-upwardmovement of handle-15 and the tool may be placed at the 'n'ext desired po'sition' for further: securing the screen.

Ithasbeen foundthat the tool is most efiective when the; screen-engaging hooks 37 are' placed in the vicinity of thetacking line. It: is apparentthat the hooks 37- may be positioned near the t'acking linefordifferent widths of frames by insertion 'of said' slot lenga'ging section in the-proper-slot=27 to give the-."desired distance between abutment portion 23 and books 37 iwhich will' be distance corresponding to the distance from the side edge of the frame to the tacking line.

I claim:

1. A tool adapted for the tensioning of screen wire on a frame, comprising an elongated body member having a top and a pair of spaced sides depending from said top, said body member including a depending abutment portion at one end thereof, said abutment portion having an outer face whichis disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said body member and adapted to engage a frame, said body member being transversely slotted downwardly from the top thereof to form a plurality 'of longitudinally spaced slots extending transversely of said body member, a pair of lugs projecting from the opposite sides of said body member, a screen engaging member removably engaging said body member, said screen engaging member comprising a pair of spaced elongated fingers, each terminating in a hook adapted to engage screen wire, and a slot engaging section remote from saidhojoks joining-said fingers at the rearward ends thereof, said-slot engaging section being removably and selectively inserted in one of said slots whereby said screen engaging' memberisadjustable for various size frames, said slot engaging section comprising a pair of loops and a forwardly'pr'ojecting U-shaped tip interposed therebetweengsaid loops-being engaged with said body adjacent said one of said slots whereby longitudinal movement of said screen engaging member relative to said body member is limited and downward movement I of the rearward end of said 'screen engaging member relative to said body memberi-s 'limited, saidtip underlying a portion'of saidtop forward of said one 'ofsaid'slots'whereby upward movement of the rearward end of said screen engaging 1nember;relative to-s'aid body member is limited, said spaced fingers respectively engagingsaid lugs whereby said lugs are 'effective tolimitupward'movement of said screen engaging member relative to said bodymember during the use of said tool for tensioning screen wire.

2. A tool adapted forthe tensioning of screen wire on a frame, comprising an elongated body-member having a top and a pair of-spacedsides depending from said top, said body member "including a depending-abutment-portion at one end thereof, said abutment portion having an outer face which is disposed-substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said body member and adapted toengage a frame,-the tops and sides of .said body member being slotted downwardly from the top thereof'to form a plurality of longitudinally spac'ed slots, stop means projecting from theopposite sides of saidbody member, a screen engaging member removably engaging said body member, said screen engaging member comprising a pair of spaced elongatedfingers, eachterminating in screen engaging means adapted to engage screen wire, and a slot engaging section remote from said screen engaging means joining said fingersiat the rearward ends thereof, said slot engaging section being removably and selectively inserted inone: of said'slots whereby said screen engaging member is adjustable forvarious size frames,:said slotengaging section comprising. a-pair: of loops :and a forwardly. projecting U-shaped tip interposed therebetween, said loops being engaged with said body adjacent said one'ofrsaidislots whereby longitudinal movement of said: screen vengaging member relative to saidzbody. member is limited ;and downward movement' of the rearward end. of said screen engaging member relative tosaid body-member; is limited, saidtip underlying a portion of said top forward'of said one of said slots wherebyupwardmovementofithe rearward end of said screen engaging member relative to said body member is limited, said spaced fingers respectively engaging said step means whereby. said stop means is efiective to limit upward movement of said screen engaging member relative to said body member during theuse of said tool for tensioning screen wire.

3. A tool adapted for-the tensioning of screen wire on a frame, comprising'an elongated body member having a top and a pair of spaced sides depending from said top, said body member including a depending abutment portion at one end thereof, said abutment portion having an outer face which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said body member and adapted to engage a frame, the tops and sides of said body member being transversely slotted downwardly from the top thereof to form a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots extending transversely of said body member, a pair of lugs projecting from the opposite sides of said body member, a screen engaging member removably engaging said body member, said screen engaging member comprising a pair of spaced elongated fingers, each terminating in a hook adapted to engage screen wire, and a slot engaging section remote from said hooks joining said fingers at the rearward ends thereof, said slot engaging section being removably and selectively inserted in one of said slots to engage said body whereby said screen engaging member is adjustable for various size frames, engagement of said slot engaging section with said body being eflective to limit longitudinal movement of said screen engaging member relative to said body member and limit downward movement of the rearward end of said screen engaging member relative to said body member, said slot engaging section including a forwardly projecting abutment means, said abutment means underlying a portion of said top forward of said one of said slots whereby upward movement of the rearward end of said screen engaging member relative to said body member is limited, said spaced fingers respectively engaging said lugs whereby said lugs are effective to limit upward movement of said screen engaging member relative to said body member during the use of said tool for tensioning screen wire.

4. A tool adapted for the tensioning of screen wire on a frame, comprising an elongated, substantially channel shaped body member having a depending abutment portion at one end thereof adapted to engage a frame, the tops and sides of said body member being slotted downwardly from the top thereof to form a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots, stop means projecting from the opposite sides of said body member, a screen engaging member removably engaging said body member, said screen engaging member comprising a pair of spaced elongated fingers lying respectively along the sides of said body member, each terminating in a hook adapted to engage screen wire, and a slot engaging section remote from said hooks joining said fingers at the rearward ends thereof, said slot engaging section being removably and selectively inserted in one of said slots whereby said screen engaging member is adjustable for various size frames, said spaced fingers respectively engaging said stop means whereby said stop means is effective to limit upward movement of said screen engaging member relative to said body member during the use of said tool for tensioning screen wire.

5. In a tool for stretching screen wire, a substantially channel shaped body, having a top and depending sides, said top being slotted transversely of said body to provide a plurality of slots longitudinally spaced along said body, said sides being respectively slotted downwardly from said top through a part of the depth of said sides to provide said sides with a like plurality of slots similarly longitudinally spaced along said body member, said side slots and said top slots being respectively communicated; a screen engaging member comprising a slot engaging section removably inserted through one of said top slots and into communicating side slots, a part of said section underlying said top adjacent said top slot, a pair of fingers each connected at one end to said section and extending longitudinally of said body member respectively along said sides toward and beyond one end of said body member, each of said fingers including a hook at its other end; and lug means carried by and projecting outwardly from said sides adjacent said body member end, said fingers intermediate their ends respectively underlying and engaging said lug means.

6. In a tool for stretching screen wire, a substantially channel shaped body, having a top and depending sides, said top being slotted transversely of said body to provide a plurality of slots longitudinally spaced along said body, said sides being respectively slotted downwardly from said top through a part of the depth of said sides to provide said sides with a like plurality of slots similarly longitudinally spaced along said body member, said side slots and said top slots being respectively communicated; a screen engaging member comprising a slot engaging section removably inserted through one of said top slots and into communicating side slots, a part of said section underlying said top adjacent said top slot, a pair of fingers each connected at one end to said section and extending longitudinally of said body member respectively along said sides toward and beyond one end of said body member, each of said fingers including wire engaging means at its other end; and stop means carried by and projecting outwardly from said sides adjacent said body member end, said fingers intermediate their ends respectively underlying and engaging said stop means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 809,545 Wever Jan. 9, 1909 1,237,875 Dickerson Aug. 21, 1917 2,457,382 Koch Dec. 28, 1948 2,664,117 Maier Dec. 29, 1953 2,691,506 Wilson Oct. 12, 1954 

